Touch tanks coming to the beach

HAMPTON — It's looking like not one but two different marine education facilities are coming to Hampton Beach this summer.

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By Nick B. Reid

seacoastonline.com

By Nick B. Reid

Posted May. 28, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Nick B. Reid

Posted May. 28, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

HAMPTON — It's looking like not one but two different marine education facilities are coming to Hampton Beach this summer.

It hasn't yet been announced, but the Blue Ocean Society is poised to get its wish to put an educational touch-tank in the Hampton Beach Seashell Complex. State Parks officials can't confirm anything, since details of a contract still need to be worked out and approved by the governor's Executive Council next month, but there were only two applicants for the space, and Ellen Goethel — the Blue Ocean Society's challenger — said she wasn't chosen.

But don't count Goethel out, because she's hard at work getting ready for the June 29 opening of the Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium a little farther north at 367 Ocean Blvd. She jumped on the opportunity when a space became available, and the 600-square-foot store in the Oceanside Mall will allow her to fit in two touch-tanks.

"There's going to be a flurry of activity going on very shortly," she said.

Goethel, who is married to commercial fisherman David Goethel, gives talks to pre-school through high-school-aged students in schools all around New England and has been looking for a home base in the Hampton area for nearly 30 years. She visits between 50 and 90 schools a year, she said, and spends four or five days a week this time of year giving talks to students.

She's planning on having two touch-tanks, a refrigerated lobster tank, dried specimens, lots of fishing equipment that kids can try on and videos that explain salt-marsh farming and fishing techniques. And her ties to the local fishing industry mean she has lots of interesting creatures to show off.

"The deep-water animals are just going to be fascinating for most people," she said, touting a red mud star she has that's about 12 inches in diameter.

Goethel said she's planning on selling tickets for $6 that allow entrance to an hour to hour-and-a-half presentation in which visitors will get to touch and learn about marine life and the developments going on in the local fishing industry.

"Fishermen in New Hampshire have been at the forefront for doing research on gear technology that's environmentally friendly," she said, adding that fishermen have found new ways to catch only the fish they want — and none they don't — saving themselves time and disrupting fewer sea creatures.

Goethel hopes to introduce guided talks on the beach utilizing the nearby tide pools later this summer.

The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, a Portsmouth-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine animals and their environment, in conjunction with Cathy Silver, a marine biology teacher at Winnacunnet High School, appear to be nearly ready to move into the space in the Seashell Complex that was formerly a retail store. They previously tried to put a nature center in that location in 2011, when their bid lost out.

"Activities at the center will include a marine life touch tank, with trained educators there to interpret; artifacts such as whale bones, baleen and historic fishing equipment; and displays about natural, local and maritime history," she said.

Having a space on Hampton Beach will facilitate educational programs at local schools by offering a field trip destination, Kennedy said, and Silver said she has students that would enjoy working as interns over the summer.

In addition to the revenue that New Hampshire can generate from leasing the space, the state and town will also benefit from a cleaner beach and public areas, resulting in less money spent for cleanup efforts, Kennedy said.

"After years of cleanups and education on the beach, we know an educational facility is needed and would be well-used by both visitors and residents," she said. "Last year, we did 28 cleanups at Hampton Beach and removed over 564 pounds of litter. In addition to providing an attraction at the beach, having that facility right at the beach will also allow us to do even more cleanups and education."